of the red men, but the story of Blue
Elk remained the favorite. That glimpse of a far-away boyhood struck a
sympathetic chord that tales of middle-aged wisdom and cunning failed to
awaken. The colonel left Ellen's Isle at noon the next day and the whole
camp escorted him as far at St. Pierre in the canoes, like a squadron of
battleships accompanying a liner. They parted from him with genuine
regret and sang a mighty cheer in his honor as they pushed off on the
return trip to Ellen's Isle.

"Uncle Teddy," said the Captain, as they sat around the fire at Ellen's
Isle that night, talking over the events of the previous day, "I am
going to do the three-day fast like the Indian boys did."

"Ho-ho-ho!" shouted Slim. "You couldn't go a day without something to
eat."

"Don't judge others by yourself," retorted the Captain. "_You_
couldn't, I know well enough. But I believe the Indians were right in
saying that the mind should conquer the body. I like that idea of going
off by yourself and watching for some sign from nature. Being away from
people and not hearing them talk gives you a great chance to think out
the things that are puzzling you. I am going over on the mainland, in
the woods, and keep the fast three days."

Of course, Aunt Clara didn't want him to do it. She immediately had
visions of him starved to death. But there was a wonderful gleam in
Uncle Teddy's eyes when he looked at his nephew. He said very little
about the proposed fast, either to encourage or discourage him; simply
gave his consent.

Hinpoha regarded the Captain with wondering admiration. She also burned
with the desire to do something hard, to prove that girls as well as
boys can practise self-control. "Oh, Captain," she said, "if you keep
the fast I'll keep the silence! I'll not speak a word for three days."

There was a ripple of exclamations at this, mixed with laughter, for
Hinpoha's fondness for conversation was well known. "Laugh all you want
to," she said, "but I'll prove to you that I can do it."

The Captain chose the spot for his retirement and on the first day after
he was released from Chiefhood he paddled across to the mainland taking
his blankets and water, but no food. Hinpoha stood on the bank as he
departed, with a middy tie bound over her mouth. She had feared her
ability to keep silence without it as a constant reminder.

When the Captain reached the place where he planned to spread his
blankets he found an Indian bed of b